


That Obvious

by caribou_cash



Category: Hockey RPF
Genre: M/M, Soul Bond, Soul Bond AU, not married quick au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-11
Updated: 2016-01-11
Packaged: 2018-05-13 04:05:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,500
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5694076
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/caribou_cash/pseuds/caribou_cash
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Martin and Jonathan (and everyone else) sorta knew Tanner and Tyler were soul bonded. It just took them a lot longer to figure their own stuff out.</p>
            </blockquote>





	That Obvious

**Author's Note:**

> un-beta'd & unfact-checked, but also??

Jonathan had met Martin before, but it was always only in passing. He knew the latter just well enough that he could put a face to the name, but that was really about it. So when he finally got to actually meet Martin, it goes about as well as he had thought it would.

Martin stood up and shook Jonathan’s hand.

“Hey. I’m Martin. We haven’t really met, but I’m the call up.”

“Yeah, hey. It’s Jones isn’t it?”

Martin nods.

“Well, you’re doing a great job… y’know, for a replacement.”

Jonathan wasn’t really sure what had possessed him to say that. Martin’s face drops for a second, but he quickly regained his composure.

“Hey, man. I’m just trying to do my job. Same as you.”

Jonathan huffed as he walked off to his stall. He called over his shoulder, “Yeah. Good luck, kid.”

Martin sits back in his stall and shakes his head. “What an ass…”

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Jonathan comes back and Martin stays up with the Kings. They’re forced to spend more time together. Goalie practice, stalls right next to each other, and occasionally rooming. It was through rooming that they really got to know each other. 

Jonathan was going through the movies available on-demand when Martin came out of the shower. He was wearing a tight gray Monarchs t-shirt, black boxer-briefs, and a towel around his neck.

“What are we watching?”

Jonathan made a noncommittal sound. 

“Dunno yet. You ever watch the Star Trek reboot?”

“That’s the ones with Chris Pines, yeah?” Martin asked as he threw himself onto his bed.

“Who?”

“You know, the hot blonde guy with the really blue eyes.”

Jonathan looks over at Martin who’s on his phone now. He shrugs. 

“Yeah, he’s the main guy.”

“No.”

“No what?”

“No, I haven’t watched the Star Trek reboot… but if you’re gonna watch it, I am totally down for it.”

Jonathan moves over on his bed and pats the space next to him. 

“C’mon. Movie time.”

 

They’re halfway through the movie, when Martin suddenly laughs. Jonathan turns to glare at him. Martin’s on his phone, furiously texting away. He laughs again.

“Shut it,” Jonathan said as he smacked Martin in the head with a pillow. 

“Sorry.”

“Naw, it’s cool. Who’re you texting anyways?”

“Toffee.”

Jonathan huffs. 

“Y’all played in Manchester together, right?”

Martin nods. 

“Me, him, and Pears… who, by the way, I 100% think are soul-bonded.”

Jonathan freezes.

“Toffee and Pears are soul-bonded?”

Martin shrugs.

“I- I think so? Like, they haven’t straight up told me, but it’s kinda obvious.” 

“Huh.”

 

It’s another 10 minutes before Jonathan whispers, “You think you’d ever wanna be soul-bonded?”

Martin looks over at Jonathan, who is staring at the television but isn’t actually watching it. He shrugs.

“I dunno,” he whispers back. ”Maybe? I’d say it would depend who I’m bonding with but that’s not really something you get to choose. Y’know?”

Jonathan stays quiet. Martin watches him closely. Jonathan eventually turns to look at him and gives him a half-smile.

Martin, still whispering, asks, “What about you, Jonny? You’d ever wanna be soul-bonded?”

Jonathan nods slowly. 

“Yeah, I think I would.”

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

They start spending more of their free time together. They go out to eat. They play xBox together. They sit next to each other on the bus and on the plane. They start to get close. They start becoming friends.

One day after practice, Martin leans into Jonathan’s stall.

“Lunch?”

“Yeah. Burgers?”

Martin smiles.

“Bro, it’s like you read my mind.”

Jonathan returns the smile. A few stalls away from them, Tyler laughs. They both turn to glare at the forward.

“What’s so funny, Titty?”

Tyler controls his laughter long enough to muster, “No offense, but you two are totally fucking soul-bonded.”

The goalies scoff. And when Martin quips, “Oh, that’s just rich coming from you Tyler,” Jonathan fistbumps him.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

Martin sighs.

“Everyone knows you and Pears are bonded.”

Tanner yells from the opposite side from the room, “Fuck you, Jonesy! Stop telling everyone we’re soul-bonded! Because we’re not! We’re not fucking bonded!”

Tyler throws his shoe at him. “Shut up! You’re not helping!”

Tanner throws the show back at him.

Jonathan shakes his head. “If you two aren’t soul-bonded, then there’s no way in hell Jonesy and I are. No way.”

“Oh, yeah? Then how do you explain you’re weird mind reading shit?” Tyler smirks.

Jonathan shrugs it off as, “Goalie shit, I dunno.” He turns to Martin. “You ready to go? I’m done with his bull shit,” he says, pointing at Tyler.

“Yeah. Let’s go. Bye soul-bond freaks!” He waves.

 

Martin was distracted during lunch. Jonathan asks him a question but he kept staring off into the distance.

“Jonesy? Hey, Jonesy. Martin,” Jonathan stage whispers as he flicks him in the nose.

“Huh? Yeah, what’s up?”

“You okay?”

“Yeah. Just thinking.”

Jonathan hums. “Toffee’s soul-bond shit?”

Martin nods.

“Do you think we could be soul-bonded, Jonny?”

“Do  _ you _ think we are?”

“I don’t think so?” Martin half-shrugs. “But what about the whole knowing what the other’s thinking thing?”

It was Jonathan’s turn to shrug. 

“Like I told Toffee, it’s just a goalie thing.”

Martin nodded, but he didn’t seem convinced.

Jonathan sighed. He could sense the uneasiness Martin was feeling.

“Okay. We’re friends, right?” A pause. Martin nods before Jonathan continues, “Friends get to know each other pretty well. Plus we’re goalies, and everyone knows that anything goalie-related is just weird as shit. You add the two together and you’re gonna get whatever  _ this  _ is.” He motions between them. “A really fucking weird goalie friendship that the in denial soul-bonded fucker is going to thing is a soul-bond.”

Martin laughs, but Jonathan could still sense some uneasiness coming from Martin.

“But that’s not all of it, is it?”

Martin grins. “That obvious?”

Jonathan shrugs.

Martin picks at the food left on his plate. He opens his mouth, as if he’s about to say something, but ultimately snaps his mouth shut.

“Spit it out Martin.”

Martin could tell his friend was starting to get impatient.

“It wouldn’t be so bad, would it? I mean, you know, if we actually  _ were _ soul-bonded?”

Jonathan’s silent. He looks at Martin, who is trying to avoid the scrutinous look by staring at his plate. He shrugs.

“It wouldn’t be  _ that  _ big of a hardship to be soul-bonded to each other. It could always be worse.” He smiles. “I mean, you could always be in some kinky three-way soul-bond with your Manch boys.”

Martin laughs and he finally relaxes.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Martin moves in with Tyler and Tanner not long after thought. Jonathan doesn’t think much about it at first. They’re three young guys that played together in Manchester. They’ve known each other for a while now. But eventually, Jonathan’s thoughts turn to the three-way soul-bond comment he had made. It wasn’t common, but it also wasn’t impossible. He wondered of there was any truth in those words.

It wasn’t like him and Martin stopped being friends. They were still friends. If anything, they were probably closer now than they were before. Jonathan raises his eyebrows at Martin whenever the latter asks to hang out. 

“I love them, don’t get me wrong,” Martin would respond. “But living with them  _ and _ having to hang out with them? It’s too much. I need a break.”

Jonathan would grin.

 

The reason Martin was hanging out Jonathan again was because Tyler and Tanner were horrible enablers. They had managed to get Martin to confess to liking the other goalie; albeit they had to get him drunk, but it worked.

“Dude, you’re like so in love him.” 

Tyler smacks Martin in the shoulder the next day, as he and Tanner play Halo.

“Shut your mouth.”

Tanner laughs. Tyler laughs. They’re both laughing now, and they’re laughing at him. Martin huffs. He doesn’t have to take this from them. He expresses those sentiments.

“I don’t have to take this from you. You two are freakishly co-dependant and refuse to admit you’re bonded.”

Tanner sighs. This was an old argument, but he realized Martin was trying to cop out of talking about his feelings.

“We’re not bonded, bro.”

“Bullshit, you’re not bonded.”

Tyler sighs.

“Yeah, okay, whatever you say, Jonesy. At least we’re not the ones with Joner-boners for Quickie.”

Tyler smirks, Tanner high-fives him, and Martin groans.

“You two are literally the fucking worst.”

They shrug. All three are quiet, the clicking of the controllers filling the silence. Tanner’s the one to break the silence.

“Sooo… when are you gonna tell Quickie you wanna Joner-bone him?”

Another high-five, and Martin groans again.

“I am not going to tell him that!”

“Yeah Pears. That’s so…  _ vulgar _ . He has to woo Quickie first.”

“Same way you wooed me?”

“You know it, babe.”

Tanner blows him a kiss.

“I am not going to woo Jonathan!”

Tanner shrugs.

“You could hang out with him more.”

“Why would I do that?”

“To satisfy your crush, bro.”

“No. To satisfy his soul-bond, bro.”

“Fuck both of you.”

 

And so Martin spends more time with Jonathan than ever before. And he’s happy.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Then Martin gets traded. And he’s off to San Jose. He’s happy, and Jonathan can tell. Honestly, he’s happy for Martin. He’s getting an opportunity to prove himself. What he doesn’t understand is why it hurts so much that Martin’s leaving. Because it doesn’t just feel like Martin’s leaving the team; it feels like Martin’s leaving him.

The pre-season starts up and Jonathan can’t shake the feeling. It’s not affecting him on the ice, but it’s visibly bothering him. Jeff notices and corners him one day after practice.

“Hey man, you okay?”

Jonathan lets out a breath.

“No.. not really. That obvious?”

Jeff places a hand on his shoulder.

“Jonesy?”

Jonathan nods.

“Well, that’s how it feels the first time you’re separated from your bond partner.”

Jonathan’s taken aback.

“B-bond partner? Jonesy and I aren’t bonded.”

It’s Jeff’s turn to be taken aback.

“I thought you guys were? You two were basically another version of Toffee and Pears…” He holds his breath. “But it feels like there’s a whole in your heart, right? Like you can’t think straight, and it hurts to breathe?”

Jonathan stays quiet. He clasps his hands together and just stares at the floor. Jeff takes that as an agreement. He squeezes Jonathan’s shoulder.

“Take it from me. Quickie. That’s a soul-bond.”

“But Martin can’t be bonded to me.”

“Why not?”

Jonathan holds his breath.  _ Because what if I love him and he might not love me back _ , he thinks. Instead he replies, “Because he’s in a three-way bond with Pears and Toffee?”

“No, he’s not!” Tanner states. “Tyler and I are bonded!”

Jonathan looks at him quizzically.

“What happened to you guys not being bonded?”

Tanner shrugs.

“We lied?”

“We lied,” Tyler agrees and then adds, “But Jonesy? He’s totally soul-bonded to you, bro.”

Jeff claps Jonathan on the back, gives him a sympathetic smile, and leaves.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

“Turns out we  _ are _ soul-bonded,” are the first words out of Jonathan’s mouth when he finally decides to call Martin.

“What?”

“We’re soul-bonded, Martin.”

“Okay.”

“That’s it? Just okay? No questions or anything?”

“I mean, it explains why I’ve been feeling like shit.”

Jonathan laughs, and Martin feels warm all over.

“So, am I going to be able to feel every time you’re happy?”

“Wait, you feel my feelings too? Jeff said that was pretty normal.”

“I mean, we can already sorta read each other’s thoughts.”

“I guess it depends on how close we are?”

They stay on the line for about two hours. Before he hangs up, Jonathan says, “Hey Jonesy?”

“Yeah?”

“I really don’t mind being bonded to you.”

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Martin sits at a table outside of a cafeteria. He has his shades perched on top of his head. He’s messing around on his phone when somebody pulls the chair next to him.

“What are ya doing?” Logan sets a milkshake in front of him and sits down.

Martin shakes his head.

“Is this even allowed on your meal plan?”

Logan shrugs.

“No, but y’know, ‘dire times, dire measures’ or whatever.”

Martin laughs around his straw.

“Sure, Cooch. So, what’s this dire time?”

“It’s about your boy.”

Martin laughs.

“My boy? Who’s my boy?”

“Quickie.”

Martin stops laughing. He pushes the shake back towards Logan, who grabs his spoon and starts eating

“You’re not taking this well,” Logan comments between shovelling shake into his mouth.

“Gee, Logan. I wonder why that is.”

Logan makes a face at him.

“You two are bonded right?”

“What does that have to do with anything?”

“Bro, it has everything to do with everything.”

Martin sighs.

“Yeah, we’re bonded.”

“Okay. So how long do you think it’ll take him to realize you like him.”

“Who told you?” Martin hisses.

“No offense,” Logan shrugs, “but it’s kinda obvious. You get like really really happy when you’re texting. And you like literally glow when you two do the mind-thing.”

Marin stays quiet. He looks at Logan. The latter is extremely busy licking his spoon.

Logan continues, “The point is you gotta tell him.”

“No. No, I’m not doing that Logan. I can’t do that.”

“Why not?”

When Martin doesn’t answer, Logan huffs.

“Look, Martin, I get it. I know it’s not ideal. It’s just something you need to do, okay. For your own sake.” Logan pauses. “You know Jason Demers? Guess who that asshole is soul-bonded too. Me.”

Martin shakes his head.

“I don’t understand.”

“All I’m saying is it’s easier having a platonic bond than worrying about ruining your friendship. And you never know, maybe you’re not bonded to a straight guy.”

Logan smiles.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Martin and Jonathan were finally getting a chance to hang out. It was the morning after their teams had played, and they were lounging on Jonathan’s sofa watching a movie. Their bond hums quietly between them. Jonathan settles into Martin’s side and presses their legs together.

Martin takes a deep breath to try to steel his nerves.

“Jonny, I gotta tell you something.”

“Hmm?”

Jonathan’s side of the bond feels bubbly and warm; he’s happy.

“Jonny, I’m not kidding.”

Martin’s side of the bond is heavy and cold; he’s anxious.

Jonathan looks over at Martin.

“Yeah, okay. What’s up?”

He takes a breath before speeding through words he had practiced, “I really like you Jonny. Like, I actually really like you. And I get it if you don’t like me back because, haha, you might be straight. I just want you to know that it’s more than okay if we have a platonic soul-bond. I just didn’t want you to figure it out from the bond before I told you… I’m done.”

Jonathan’s quiet. He’s still looking at Martin. The bonds quiets. Martin looks at the television. Jonathan presses back into his side, and Jonathan's half of the bond is bursting with warmth.

“I like you too.”

The bond hums louder. And when Martin kisses Jonathan, it practically sings. 


End file.
